“That’s what cats do, don’t they?” Morgan paused, then shivered. “Who’s looking after her while you’re away?”
“My friend Tobias. He’s threatening to bring a parade of men back to my flat, but I know he’s more likely to spend the nights pandering to Snowy. He loves it when I go away, because he gets the flat all to himself.”
“Sounds like Snowy wins whoever’s there.”
“Cats always do.” Ali pulled her scarf tight as the wind whipped around them. “Tobias knitted me this scarf, actually.”
Morgan blinked. “It’s lovely. I thought maybe your nan knitted it, but it was Tobias. Clever man.”
“He has his moments.”
“Does he knit hats, too? I could do with one. And some gloves.”
“It might be too late for this trip.” Ali glanced up the path. “I can see civilisation. Maybe a bottle of wine with our name on it. Ready to walk the final bit?”
“Yes. And then I can see if I have my phone, or if I’m turning into my grandmother by losing it or smashing it every other day.”
Ali stared at Morgan. This woman she’d put on a pedestal and held in such high esteem all of her life. But really, Morgan was just another woman. Just like her, trying to muddle through life. Plus, there was only three years between. Ali had dated women older and younger. But Morgan had always seemed light years older, wiser, hotter. That’s what happened when you got stuck in 12-year-old-self thinking patterns. From now on, Ali was going to treat Morgan as she would any other hot, intelligent and available woman.
On second thoughts, maybe she shouldn’t do that.
She might implode.
But more than that, her sister might kill her.
CHAPTER9
The path led them into a cul-de-sac filled with identikit sandy-bricked houses. White picket fences surrounded their fake grass-lined front gardens.
“I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore,” Morgan told Ali.
In response, Ali widened her eyes. She got her phone out and checked Google Maps. “No reception.”
“Of course,” Morgan said. “I’m going to wait until I get inside to check for my phone. I’d rather have a breakdown in the warm than the cold.” Her stomach sank at the thought. She’d just got a new screen this morning. Had it really only been this morning? She checked her watch—7:30pm. “Shall we try right and see where it takes us?”
Ali nodded and they trudged in silence.
Up above, stars studded the inky sky, lighting their way.
They rounded the first corner and walked onto a road much like the last, with minimal streetlamps. Morgan pulled her coat sleeves down in a vain attempt to keep warm. She tried her best to keep her teeth from chattering. How she wished she’d had the foresight to put her hat and gloves into her backpack. When they got to the end of the road, she tilted her head. Whooping and cheering sailed in the air.
“Can you hear that?”
“I can feel it,” Ali said.
She was right. Something vibrated the ground under their feet. “I swear, if it’s a herd of cows, I’m running back to the fucking train.”
Ali guffawed. “You’ll have to get past Maud The Nosy first.”
“Maud?”
Ali grinned. “That cow looked like a Maud. My great-grandmother was a Maud. Apparently very nosy, too.”
“And a bit of a cow?”
“How dare you talk of my great-granny like that.” Ali backed up her words with a smile. “Shall we walk towards the noise and hope it’s not cows?”
Ten minutes later, drawn towards music and lights, they found themselves on the corner of what must be the town’s main street. On it, some sort of Christmas parade was taking place, with a marching band, Santa on a float and elves giving out candy canes.
